Support for contact-shoes



0.!1. QUARLES.

SUPPORT FOR CONTACT SHOES,

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 17, 1919.

Patented Sept. 20,1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

v UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

CHAIRLE$ n. :QUARLES, or e ema-swam, vn INrA, ASSIGNOR, BY Mnsm:ASSIGNMENTS, T0. AmmIcAw,;AuroMArIc TRAIN CONTROL CORPORATION, \A

V coRroRA'rro br MARYLAND.

SUPPORT FOR CON CT-SHOES.

'To allwhom it may'cimcm:

Be i known that CHARLES QUA LEs, a citizen of the United States,residing "at Cha-rlottesville, in the county -of Albemarle a'nclState ofVirginia, has invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in*'Supportsfor Contact-Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention'relates to an improved support for contact shoesoftrain-stop 'and'control"n1echanism V The object of'the invention is toprovide an improved construction or -'shoe-s'upport whereby in case thesame or any =mater1al part thereof becomes loose or brokento an extentas to cause 'a fallureln its 'ope-ratlon, an automatic operation ofother mechanisms will r'esult that will disclose the defectivecondition. h V v *Inthe operation-of train "control mechanisms oftheramp rail type, a 'contact'shoe is carried on the vehicle in suchposition as to successively engage" and be operated by the-ramp railslocated along the trackway and it quite frequently happensuthatfthesupports orbrackets which carry the shoe plunger become loose or b rokenand allow the shoe to-a'ssume'a positionwhere it will fail toen'gage'the' ramp rails. This failure to'mak'e contact will cause theshoe to give a false clear signal or indication whiehobviously isdangerousand the present invention is designed tomeetand overcome thisserious I defect.

Theinve'ntion is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where1n,-+ 7

Figure '1. illustrates a vertical sectional view through the 'ba'se, the"cylinder {and j the lower *end "of the plunger.

"Fig. 2. shows a plan view of thebase'and the end supporting-brackets,

Fig. 3. illustrates the head-part of the support in' bottom-view, and 1F ig.- 4. sh'ows a 'top view ofthe cylinder. Referring to"theydrawing,-'the numerals'5, designate two acedapart brackets which are boltedtothef'frame' 'ofth'e vehicle and eachh'as-a horizontal ledge-'6, whichextends outwardly from the vehicle.

A baseplate 7, has-'ahorizontal flange1'8, at 'its' opposite'edges whichare seated on the bracket f ledges and each of said] base+plate flangesis provided with vertical threaded perforations 9, for" the passage "ofadjusting Specification of-Letterslatent. Patented Sept. 20, 1921. aplication*meduwovember 1 7,-1919. *serial'no. 338,645.

screws 10, which latter project throughthe flanges and seat'ontop of thebracket-ledges 6, and are utilized'n'ierely 'for 'slight adjustingpurposes.

The-flanges 8,Tare also provided with vertical perforations 11, whichregister with similar perforations 12, in the bracketled'ges so thatlockingbolts 13, may be passed vertically through the two registeringperforations to rigidly lock the base down'on theledges.

The base plate also has a central-circular "opening 14, and is furtherprovided :with

a pl-uralit'y o'f'perforations 15, adjacent to said central openingwhich perforations extend through downwardly-proj eeting 1 bosses"I6,'onfthe bottomside of the base.

-ablyilocated one (18) nearer the front and th'eot'her (17) nearer therear. The rela-' tive jlocation: of these passage portions, and

th e number of the same, is not essential to "the invention, and -maydiffer from that shown,"but the outer eI-idsiof the passages "terminatein enlarged recesses 21, which latter are internally screw-threaded.

7 Confronting 'each 'of the recesses 21, and

the ends of the 'passages 17 and 18,- are vertical flanges 22, whichextend upwardly from the bracket-ledges 6. Each'flange 22, has ahorizontal perforation 23, therethrough which registers with,but is ofalarger diameter than, the recesses 21, softhat alscrew 'plug 24, Inay'bepassedthrough the erforation and-screwed into the "threade' recess."Eachscrew-plugha's ahead 25, at its outer end and also has 'a centralpassage 26, therein which communicates with the passageportionslZ or 18,as the case may be. These central passages 2'6,'in the screw plugshoweverdo not extend through the latter but are s' implyfblind passages,and terminate in the heads 25, at-theouterside of the flanges 22.

The inner ends of the passage portions :17 aridiJiS, ih this' in'stance,incline upwardlyat 27, and communicate with a passage 29, that extendshorizontally around the base plate and all the way around the centralopenin 14, so that said passage '29 and both'latera passages 17 and 18are always in commu-' nication.

It will be noted that the passage 29 ex tends through the base plate ina horizontal plane between the upper and lower surfaces thereof and thatit has a stretch along the front, another stretch along the rear and thetwo stretchesextend from and connect the front and rear stretches.

At one side of the central opening '14, the base plate 30, which extendslaterally, from one of the front-to-rear stretches of the passage 29,and

that the inner end of this branch passage H 30, connects with a verticalpassage 31, that opens in acircular of the base plate. The purpose ofthis circular recess will presently be explained. I

The base plate sustains a vertical cylinder 33, which latter is providedwith an annular flange 34 around its upper edge that seats on a gasket35 on the top of the base, and

v aroundthe central opening 14. "The vertical nular flange 34,

cylinder depends through the central open- :ing 14,- and its lower endterminates beneath the bottom of the base.

On the interior, the cylinder 33, has a chamber-36, with an annularflange or shoulder 37, at its lower end and an opening 38. in said lowerend adjacent to said shoulder.

A packing ring 39, is seated on the shoulder 37, around theopening 38,in the lower presently'be explained.

, At the upper end, the cylinder 33,- has an annular recess40, and atoneside the an- 7 of said cylinder has a vertical opening or slot 41, whichispositioned directly over the circular recess 32, onvthe top of thebase-plate, and said flange also has a plurality of vertical openings orperforations 42, which register with the perfor'ations 15, that extenddown through thebosses '16, on the base plate, all. for a purpose thatwill presently be explained.

On top of the cylinder flange there is provided a head-part 43, thathasan interior central chamber 44, which registers with the chamber 36in the cylinder beneath it, and the bottom of this head has a centralannularbead that enters; the top recess 40, of the cylinder flange andseats on a packing ring 45, in said recess.

The head part 43, is provided at one side with a depending bottom lug46, that projects downthrough the slot or opening 41 in the cylinderflangev and enters the circular recess 32, in the top of thebase plate.

A packing disk 47, is located in the recess 32, and makes a tight jointabout'th lower endot the 1 g 4 so th a pas g my 4 7 also has a shortbranch passage recess 32, on thetop side 1 431011 with the air-supply ofthe air-brake the head-part; through the lug 46, and an whichextendsfrom the outer side, through may be provided that extends down through Vthe head-part and opens into the central chamber 44. This air-supplypassage 50, is connected to-the main air-supply of an airbrakemechanismon the vehicle so that at alltimes said passage 50, will be charged withair from the air-brake system and will be subject to variations in theair-pressure just the'same as is the'main air or trainline pip of theair-brake system.

As passage 50, is always in communicamain or train line, and saidpassage is always in communication with chambers 44,

:and 36, said latter chambers will also be passing through theperforations 15 and bosses "16; perforations 42, andscrewing into.threaded sockets or perforations 52,,in the head-part 43. that will- Theperforations 15, that extenddownthrough the bosses 16, of the base arepreferably linedwith insulated bushings 53, and insulating'washers54,;are also provided be;

tom-ends of the bosses.

through the cylinder chamber 36, and chamber 44, of the head-part, andsaid rod carries a piston 5.6, which snugly fits the cham- I ber 36, butwhich is electrically insulated from the rod; by means of insulation 57.

' The plunger-rod 55, passes through a stuffing-box 58, at the upperside of the headpart and insulating-material 59, is provided toelectrically insulate the rod from the head-part. V l

The lower end of the plunger rod 55, carries a contact head 60, which isdesigned to make frictional contact with ramp rails along the roadwayand pick up current from said rails when the latter are energized. 'Th1sfeature n the operation has nothing to do with the presentinvention andis therefore not shown herein. 7 V

I A passage 61, extends vertically in'the plunger rod and terminates ator adjacent to thecontact head 6O. j

This I passage is. entirely closed at the 105 tween the heads of thebolts-51,,and the bot lower end but at its upper end hasa lateral branch62, that opens at the side of the rod so as to communicatewith thechamber 44, and allow air under pressure to enter said passage fromthe-chamber.- This passage 61 and branch 62, is not a feature of thepresent invention and therefore is not herein claimed.

A spring 63, encircles the rod and is confined in the chambers 36 and44, and serves to press the piston head 56, and rod 55, down, but willyield to allow the rod to move upwardly when the contact head 60,engages a ramp rail.

From the foregoing explanation it will be noted that the air-supplypassage ,50, is in communication with the chambers 44 and 36, andconstantly supplies air under pressure from the air-brake train line tosaid chambers and also to the branch passage 62 and central passage 61,in the plunger-rod. It will also be seen that said air-supply passage 50also communicates through passages 48 and 31, to the branch passage30,and from the latter to the passage 29 around the base; the lateralpassages 1718; the recesses 21 and the plug-passages 26, so that all ofthe passages through the base and the passages 26 in the screw plugs 25,are constantly charged with air under pressure that isin continuouscommunication with the train line of th air-brake system.

The object of providing these blind passages through the base plate ofthe. shoe support and into the plug caps 25, is to so distribute thosepassages through the supporting structures as to provide for the leakageor escape of air in case a crack or break occurs in any of the partsthat might cause a failure in the operation of the plunger-rod. If suchcrack or break should occur, it would extend through some portion of oneor more of the blind passages and when it does occur, will permit theair to escape to the atmosphere and producean automatic operation of theair-brakes, by automatically venting the train line pressure,substantially as would occur if the'engineer manually actuated hisengineers valve to produce such venting of the train line.

Thus by means of this novel arrangement of blind passages in theshoe-supporting structure, a break of suflicient magnitude as to cause afailure of the shoe to operate, would automatically produce an operationof the air-brakes because of the leakage of air through such rupturedpart.

It will also be noted that should the securing bolts 51, becomeloosevthere would be a leakage of air around the packings 40 or 47, andsuch leak would reduce the train line pressure and cause an applicationof the air-brakes.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. In a contact shoe for railwa vehicles and having a passage toward butis closed adjacent to the contact end thereof said plunger-passage beingalways in commun1- cation with the cylinder; a base for. supporting saidcylinder said base having airpassages extending therein which are closedagainst atmospheric communication but which communicate with the saidcylinder and a connection from the train line of an air-brake system tosaid base passages which connection is constantly maintained.

2. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with acylinder, of a contact plunger extending through the cylinder and havinga passage therein which opens into the cylinder; a base for supportingthe cylinder said base having air passages that extend therein aroundthe cylinder which passages are closed against atmospheric communicationbut are in communication with the cylinder and a connection forsupplying air from the train line of an airbrake system on the vehicleto said passages and cylinder.

3. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with a basehaving airpassages therein which are closed against atmosphericcommunication, of a cylinder sustained by said base; a contact plungerpassing through the cylinder and having a passageextending downwardlytherein whose lower end is closed but which passage communicates withthe cylinder said cylinder and the base-passages being in communicat1onand a connection for supplying air under pressure to said passages andcylinder.

4. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the'combination withsupporting brackets, of a base sustained by said bracketsfiasteningdevices engaging the base and brackets,the base having air passages withends that are closed by the fastening devices; a connection forsupplying air from the train line of an air-brake system on' the vehicleto said base passages, and a movable contact element carried by thebase.

5. In a contact shoe for railway vehicles the combination with.supporting brackets, of a base sustained by said brackets and having airpassages therein; a cylinder sustained by the base and having a chamberthat is in communication with the basepassages; a plunger movable in thecylinder and having a passage that communicates with saidcylinder-chamber; fastening means engaging the base and sealing theair-passages in the base and a connection for supplying air fromthetrain line of an airbrake system on the vehicle to said passages andchamber-cylinder.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES H, QUARLES.

